Fanfarlo

Hot off the heels from their Splendour in the Grass performance, Fanfarlo was all set to rock the Northcote Social Club stage with their debut Australian tour.

Speaking of ‘heals’, local outfit Dancing Heals were first in support of the UK collective, as a complacent crowd sat cross-legged on the band room floor. Unfortunately, prejudice proved perilous for the band which displayed a dubious vocal performance undermining an otherwise excellent display of musicianship. Their general stage presence was weak with a timid approach which did not match the music they played with strength, conviction and cohesion. As the set progressed, Dancing Heals improved their drawbacks considerably.

They’re an acquired taste with a straightforward approach that’s seldom surprising—their safe, easily accessed chord progressions expose their premeditated plan. They hardly attempt to reach the pinnacle of adventure or experimentation leaving the performance at ‘nice enough’. Unfortunately, ‘nice enough’ satisfies neither audience nor band.

Alexander Gow, of Melbourne’s much-celebrated Oh Mercy was next, ready for his solo appearance. Offering an acoustic preview of his band’s next offering, Gow revealed the rough song line up of Oh Mercy’s next album. However, if these songs are to be the next offerings from Oh Mercy, the juggernaut of hype might just come to a grinding halt. The songs sounded desperately bland, plagiarised and repetitive. Equally disappointing was Stay, Please Stay which begged for a lawsuit from Bic Runga for bearing too similarity to her beloved track Sway. It will be interesting to see what the band can add to each composition before a formal release of the album, but at the core, Oh Mercy’s step forward seems fated to be more of a stumble than a leap.

This was Fanfarlo’s final show appearance before travelling to Japan. The beautifully titillating twangs of a mandolin introduced the band and Atlas, a recent offering of the band. The quintet quickly crafted an enormous, warm sound with each part of their epic ensemble combining excellently. FinishLine cued the deliciously twee tinkling of a xylophone, accompanying front man Simon Balthazar’s soulful, emotive delivery, tinged with sweet optimism from song to song. Their repertoire was soon bolstered by the inclusion of a trumpet, making the mix powerful and strong.

Fanfarlo’s performance was a great act of beautifully fitted instrumental sounds pieced together into one grand jigsaw. And what a perfect puzzle it is! Their fusion of folk, indie rock and post-punk crafted a sublime showing for the Social Club. I’m A Pilot was a highlight of the set, a plodding processional that soon transformed into a lush, joyous anthem with splendidly magical harmonies. Drowning Me saw Balthazar and Cathy Lucas front and centre of the stage, forging a charming duet and yet another brilliant display of great performance. The Walls Are Coming Down was an equally breathtaking rendition, with the entire band creating music as one in harmony.

It was only bettered by the urgent energy of the impassioned Luna, which might have been their closing act were it not for the rapturous and adoring crowd demanding an encore.

With every song Fanfarlo played that evening, they reinforced the reasons to why their debut record Reservoir was received with such acclaim. With only a brief stint of club shows around Australia, they haven’t really jumped on the bandwagon yet, but that is just our loss. For those of us who know better, we can only hope that they make it big in the field and soon.

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